LANGLEY, B.C. – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team wrapped up its weekend at the Canadian Tip-Off Classic on Sunday with a game against Daemen where Shaw Anderson erupted for 30 points as the Falcons picked up their first win of the year 87-77.
"We had an opportunity to respond today to a couple of tough losses, and I thought our guys did," Interim Head Coach Keffrey Fazio said. "Proud of our togetherness for the entire game. We're a team trying to find out who we are and today showed some positive things."
Anderson continues to establish himself as a top player in the country. He filled it up with 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including five 3-pointers. He pulled down five rebounds and dished out four assists.
Anderson scored 65 points over the first three games of the season. His career total moves to 1,372 points, and is now 10th in total points in program history.
The Falcons faced a tough opponent in the Wildcats, who entered the season receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches National Poll.
The difference came in the first 4:43 of the second half. The Falcons went on a 15-5 run to gain a 58-51 lead. The team went 6-for-9 from the field, including a 3-for-4 effort from 3-point range. The scoring was balanced as Julian Mora led the run with five points, Anderson had four, while Kyle Luttinen and Owen Moriarty splashed home a 3-pointer each.
With 11:47 left in the game, the Falcons went on another big run. They outscored the Wildcats 13-2 over 4:40. The team went 6-for-8 from the field, and we're led by five points from Luttinen. The run gave SPU a 71-58 lead with just over seven minutes to play.
Luttinen scored a career-high 18 points. The sharpshooter knocked down five 3-pointers. He added eight rebounds and an assist to a strong performance. Mora matched his career-best set yesterday with 18 points.
As a team, the Falcons shot 49.2 percent (31-for-63) from the field. They hit half of their 3-point attempts and made 14 during the game.
The win was historic for Interim Head Coach Fazio as well. It's the first in his career.
The Falcons return to the States and take a trip to Chico, Calif. Next weekend to compete in the CCAA Crossover. The Falcons open the weekend against Cal Poly Pomona on Friday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m.